Continuning...
Tanasu paced the plains directly outside the Pridelands.He had returned home to check on everyone in the trees,only to find that they were long gone.With his head rushing and his nerves jittering so hard together,he now stumbled through comtemplation with worse case scenarios.Had they been taken?Were they all looking for him?At this point there were countless possiblites as to what had happened.But he didn't know and now things couldn't get any worse.
It's all my fault.He ceased pacing and hung his head,ashamed.If I'd only gone back home,if I had only not left from here.And what of Imani?I'm such an idiot!Just a stupid,unworthy...
"You're doing what you did years ago,"An amused male voice spoke from behind him.
"Doing what?"Tanasu muttered back pelutantly.
"You're standing here playing the sad-sack-pity-oh-woe-is-me game with yourself."
"Oh,who asked you anyhow."He retorted upwards and started to head further westward.
"So,"Tanasu felt the creature collasp onto him,inquiring lazily."Where we goin'?"
"You're getting off of me."His voice rose as he was about ready to turn around to face whoever was taunting him."Can't you see I'm worried?I have friends and family who're in grave danger."
The creature chuckled and asked a bit egoistically."Is there one handsome,intelligent and above all a real player with the ladies kind of friend you're worried about?"he gave another small laugh.
"You son of a gun!"Tanasu exclaimed in surprise,the image of Obika coming into view."Where have you been?You nearly gave me a heartattack,man.Speaking of which,where is everyone?"
His tan face took on that of concerned."Looking for you."he explained."We didn't know what'd become of you,Su.Where's that tiger who doesn't know humor?Imani,right?What happened?"
The lion's ears folded back and he looked the other way."Well,it's a long story."he said,evasive.
Obika sighed in exapseration,rolling his eyes."That's why you'll never have kits!You need help."
"Help,"Tanasu repeated under his breath and then turned back to his friend determinedly."Have you seen those two-legged creatures?The ones that tried to take us all when we were younger?"
"What?"He gaped in horror."You don't mean to say...they're not really...please say you don't-"
"I do."His words were bold as he held himself higher."They're back and I'm going to stop them."
Meanwhile...
Imani could hear The Tamer's low and hoarse curse words as she lie completely exhausted on the earth.Steel bars rose around her as if they had just shot up from the ground itself and stood forever high.Forever imposing over her,enslaving her and if nothing else,defining her.Imani had allowed herself to be taken in as she had no other choice;she never had had a choice with life.
"Faith,"A familiar hushed voice accosted from behind her."Over here."
The tigress closed her eyes and tried to will them away.She loved them and she knew they were in trouble as it were.They'd been taken from their parents for some reason,Imani didn't know the exact reason but she did know it had not been for the same reason she,herself,had been taken.
"Please,girl,"Anna's voice,stronger and stabler then little Kelley's,urged her on."You musn't give up.We've got good news.Our Uncle Paul left the door to his cabin trailer unlocked;We went in."
Why are you going this far?she thought,dreadfully.What's the point anymore in fighting this human?I've done it all my life and all it's had done is ended in disaster.Complete disaster.
"Kitty-cat,"Kelley spoke quietly and began running her small hands down the jungle cat's broad and distinctive back,ending in a tight hug."We need you.We need you to,hey!Anna,lemme go!"
The girl's loud protests immediately drew the attention of The Tamer who had been unseen from behind the middle trailer.Imani raised her head weakly to see his hulking image appear and begin to lumber over their way.His co-partner had tooken Imani's attack and hadn't recovered but his blazing eyes were not set on her this time,they were set further down onto two innocent childern.
"Uncle Paul."Anna began to speak in a suprisingly controlled manner,quickly coming up to her immobile sister's side and began to half-drag her back in through the bars."It isn't what you m-"
"Just thinkin' you's was gonna take off with meh property!"The old man snarled accusingly as he sped up and over to the side of them,causing Anna to have to almost stumble backwards as her little sister could barely bend her knees."I knew you's two was always up ta sumthin'.Why,"his beady eyes lit up in clarity."I'm a'bettin' it was the two of ya who went in there ev'ry night,right?"
The teen feigned confusion while holding Kelley closer to her."Excuse me?"she asked warbly.
Run.Imani kept thinking frantically,her eyes growing moist.You stupid girls,get away from here!
"You can't hurt us,"Kelley's usually bubbly voice announced boldly,causing all eyes to fall to the small girl."Our daddy won't let you and our mama won't either.You're big and mean and awful."
She immediately found a hand over her mouth,as Anna moved her sister behind her."I'm not going to let you hurt her,"her words were more rational but no less braver,staring up into his ungodly gaze and swallowing hard."Whatever you do,do it to me.She doesn't know our parents are gone."she paused and continued with a shaky voice."She doesn't know that they have died."
Imani watched as the little girl tried to scream a retort but was muffled by Anna's hand over her mouth,the older child went on to say to her uncle that he would be sorry he ever took them out of the United States to try and follow in his footsteps.They weren't men,they weren't cruel and all this time they had spent out here for the last year they had learned a lot but nothing he had taught.
The Tamer clenched his fists and stalked forward,seething."Why,you oreny bunch'a brats.I went and dun did you ungra'ful little girls a favor.If not,you'd'a been gone off to some other's place but the court didn't want that.Them's a-wanted a full-blood relative ta come up and look after ya's."
"We can look after ourselves."Anna replied calmly and slipped Imani a glance as if to ask if what was about to happen to them would be painful,she then looked back to her uncle."Leave us be."
Flashes,memories of all she and Kelley had done for all those weeks and months ago came back to her.They had been tentative of each other,never making the first move but each day they had given her scraps of whatever spare food they had.Slowly but surely,all of what they had done for her now accumulated into this final point where they,themselves,were the ones who're in trouble.
"No!"Imani shrieked,as rage fueled through out her,giviing her enough strength to leap to her feet.
The three turned to her in surprise and before the man was in inches of Anna,Imani thrusted her front paws onto the cage with such full-bodied force that the heavy cage shifted in the ground slightly.Anna and Kelley scampered away as the two locked eyes and waiting until she was sure the two girls were well out of range,Imani smirked deviously at him and gave yet another hurtling.
Once The Tamer had plunged himself out of the way,the tiger took off at full speed and headed in the direction of the forest,careening sharply and having to pound her paws into the ground so as not collide with the face-planted human.Imani was about to go for the childern who were huddled together inside the little opening in the rise of land from the desert when a piercing roar halted her.
Now in a sitting position,she trained her sapphire eyes up to see a large brown lion and a sliverish colored one atop the two rising walls of the opening.As female lions materialised on either sides of the two,the two girls flattened themselves against the walls and tried their best to appear invisible.
"This must be Tanasu's pride,"Imani commented to herself observingly,turning from face after face of solemn-looking lions."But where's Tanasu?"she scoffed."Typical,that guy wouldn't land a slash unless he absolutely had to..."her words lingered in mid-sentence."I know he'd be here for this."
He need her,she decided suddenly.Just like she needed him.They could only win together as one.
Before she could act anymore,Imani heard the cocking of at least a dozen or more guns that were behind her.She stood completely erect,realising with terror that there was about to be a battle and Imani was on the wrong side.But then,she never really had been on any certain side to begin with.
To be continued...